The MSU football team’s toughness has been in question during the last three weeks, but its intrastate rival has not escaped similar criticism.
After getting overpowered in a 34-9 loss to Iowa last week, Michigan has had to answer more than its share of toughness questions.
Wolverine offensive lineman Tony Pape admitted the front five weren’t physical enough against the Hawkeyes (8-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) and the Wolverines (6-2, 3-1) need to run the football against the Spartans (3-5, 1-3) when they meet at 12:05 p.m. Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
“That is the one thing we are going to refocus on this week,” he said. “We need to become a tougher team. We got out-toughed by Iowa and we are not going to let that happen again.
“With what happened it gives us a reality check and puts it back in perspective what we have to do to win.”
In the loss to Iowa, the Wolverines rushed for 22 yards on 20 carries. Quarterback John Navarre was the leading rusher with five carries for 18 yards. The Wolverine signal caller said the flow of last week’s contest kept the team from establishing the ground game.
“We didn’t have many attempts,” Navarre said. “If we have a will to run the ball we can get it done. The way the game played out we didn’t run that much.”
On the season, the Wolverines have struggled to establish a consistent running game. They have averaged 130.9 rushing yards per game - 10th in the Big Ten. MSU ranks ninth in the conference with 138.5 yards per game.
Defensively, U-M held Iowa tailback Fred Russell to 28 yards on 20 carries, but backup Jermelle Lewis burned the Wolverines for 109 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
It was an uncharacteristic performance by the U-M defense, which ranks third in the conference in rushing defense, allowing 112.1 yards per game.
U-M head coach Lloyd Carr said his team’s inability to move the ball on the ground contributed to Iowa’s second half outburst. Iowa outscored the Wolverines 24-3 in the second half.
“I think we just got worn down,” he said. “But I think more than anything else it is due to the fact that we left our defense on the field too long. I don’t care how great of a defense you are, when you are on the field for 37-38 minutes out of a 60-minute game, you are going to wear down.”
The Wolverines ran 19 fewer plays than the Hawkeyes and possessed the ball for almost 17 fewer minutes.
U-M defensive lineman Grant Bowman said in all rivalry games the physicality of the teams increases a notch and he doesn’t expect that to change against the Spartans.
“In a rivalry sort of game, there is a different feeling to it,” he said. “You are not just out there playing football, you are trying to prove something. Everybody is trying to come off the ball a little harder. Everybody is trying to get an extra hit in the back.”
Carr said the formula for winning doesn’t change for the Spartans or any other team.
“It’s a game of physicality. It always is,” he said. “It is not just this game, it is any game. Generally speaking, the team that is the most physical has the best chance to win.”
Romando J. Dixson can be reached at dixsonro@msu.edu.
